Most of us are well acquainted with "bad breath". It is generally offensive to those who encounter it, frequently when the person suffering from same is unaware of the problem. Such bad breath arises from various causes in the complex chemistry of the mouth and may include disease of the gingiva, uncontrolled plaque formation and even stomach related disorders.
Moreover, as the population increases, the number of people suffering with the social stigma of bad breath also increases. The need for a more efficient and effective oral deodorizer is accordingly more acute now than ever before. The simple use of various forms of mouthwash, lozenges and the like will never represent a complete answer because of the short period of the effectiveness that is found with such remedies. Other therapeutic devices that have appeared in the past have been very limited for practical use. It is clear that there is a need for an oral device that is effective for a more sustained period, easy to replenish, does not interfere with speaking, eating, or drinking, and is preferably not visible to others during the course of day-to-day activities. It is also highly desirable that a such a therapeutic device be designed and constructed such that it responds only selectively and does not continue to dispense when eating or drinking, the effect of which will be to impart a foreign flavor to food or drink. Previously known devices include U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,807 issued to Sipos, et al., which teaches a hollowed out tooth of a denture, in which an absorbent material is saturated with a deodorant solution. The solution is slowly, but continuously, released in the mouth until the same is exhausted, at which time it is recharged with additional solution. However, this device, unlike the present invention, releases its solution continuously which has the effect of flavor contamination while eating or drinking. In contrast, the present invention provides a selectively controllable dispensing valve that allows release of the deodorant solution only when the valve is activated by the user.
Another prior art device is Kasdin, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,127, which teaches a hollowed out denture for use with a pill or concentrate of a chemical sweetening agent that dissolves slowly and flows through openings in a cover plate. As with the Sipos device, this is an uncontrolled and continuous release, and the user, at mealtime, ends up with peppermint flavored mashed potatoes. The present invention effectively avoids such flavor contamination. Also, the present invention is not confined to denture wearers as with both of the preceding references, but may be used by persons having all or many of their natural teeth, but who also need a breath sweetening aid for various reasons.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,855 by Holland, et al. also teaches a hollowed out artificial tooth with an internal cavity to contain a sweetening solution. This reference discloses a small rotatable ball with a slightly roughened surface utilized to carry the solution into the mouth whenever the ball is rotated. This represents a better method than that employed in the foregoing references, but the difficulty of chemical sweetener mixing with food or drink is not resolved, because normal contact of the dispensing ball with food or other movement within the mouth while eating or drinking will rotate the ball and dispense solution into the food or beverage. In contrast, the present invention only releases solution when the dispensing valve is selectively operated, the same generally being constructed with a flange on the valve stem which is so shaped so as to allow food particles to pass behind the flange as well in front of it, thereby avoiding accidental dispensing while masticating food.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,686 by Tauman, et al. teaches a method of combatting foul breath by the application of a hydrophilic polymer to the top surface of an upper dental plate. The polymer contains a flavoring agent to combat breath odors. This reference neither teaches nor suggests the structure of the present invention.
Another artificial tooth that is hollowed out is disclosed by Baumgardner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,574,810. In this case, the purpose is to provide a shock absorbing device to imitate the natural tooth action in the alveolar socket. It also does not teach or suggest the structure of the present invention.
Other less relevant references are known and made a matter of record elsewhere, but a review of all of the prior art known to the inventor indicates that neither the present invention structure nor the selective release of oral deodorizer made possible by such structure are anticipated or suggested by such prior art.